Tornadoes struck parts of the South and Midwest, knocking down power lines and trees, ripping roofs off of homes and shooting debris thousands of feet into the air, prompting at least one tornado emergency in Arkansas,

Tornadoes touched down in parts of the South and Midwest on Wednesday, knocking down power lines and trees and ripping roofs off of homes.

By Wednesday, an area encompassing 70 million people from Texas to Illinois and Ohio will be in the storm's crosshairs. Meanwhile, a late-season winter storm on Tuesday unloaded heavy snow and gusty winds across the northern Plains,

Yet again, another round of severe weather is set to threaten the central U.S. with damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes starting late Tuesday and continuing through Thursday.

Volatile spring weather will kick into high gear this week as a potential severe thunderstorm outbreak and life-threatening flooding loom large for tens of millions of people in the central and eastern United States.

Heavy rain, severe thunderstorms and the risk of tornadoes are threatening more than 40 million people from Michigan to Texas as a slow-moving cold front hovers over the region.